BIOGRAPHY
Kevin received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley in May 2008. He is currently a graduate student in the same department under the guidance of Professor Liwei Lin.

Facile Synthesis of Nanostructures for Renewable Energy and Gas Sensing Applications [BPN517]
Oxide semiconductors have been attracting great interest for renewable energy and sensing applications due to their earth-
abundance, stability, and cost-effectiveness. In this project, we explore cupric oxide (CuO) nanowires, which are grown in highly
dense and vertically aligned arrays via thermal oxidation of copper foil in ambient air. This material shows great promise for
photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution owing to a desirable electronic band gap and exceptional light-trapping properties. Initial
results reveal a photocurrent comparable to other high-performing oxide photoelectrodes. In addition, we demonstrate a top contact
methodology for instant integration of CuO nanowires for hydrogen gas sensing. This methodology provides a simple solution to the
ongoing challenge of harvesting nanostructured materials for gas sensing application, bypassing laborious and expensive
photolithography and thin-film metallization steps. In sum, these applications highlight the great versatility of CuO nanowires.